


Soft Smiles and Soft Words

by SilverInk



Category: Endeavour (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Tag, Episode: s02e01 Trove, F/M, Pre-Relationship, angsty Morse is angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 00:43:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14320737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverInk/pseuds/SilverInk
Summary: All she’d done was bring him a tray of food and some hot tea before her hospital shift started, but that small gesture of kindness overwhelmed him. He didn’t deserve any of it, but here she was, all soft smiles, soft words, and so much kindness, not expecting anything in return.Morse and Monica in TROVE





	Soft Smiles and Soft Words

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I haven't written about these two in SO LONG??? & how is this only the second time ever??

Hearing Monica’s knock at the door came as a surprise. Morse felt entirely undeserving of her company at the moment, and completely unequal to conversation with anyone. He felt so useless after Thursday’s order to go home, and he hadn’t been able to move from his position in bed for the rest of the day, too full of self-loathing and frustration to do anything. He should be working to solve the case, and maybe if he hadn’t shouted at Bright and Thursday, he’d still be able to.

All she’d done was bring him a tray of food and some hot tea before her hospital shift started, but that small gesture of kindness overwhelmed him. He didn’t deserve any of it, but here she was, all soft smiles, soft words, and so much kindness, not expecting anything in return. This was something completely unattached from his life as a policeman, from what he’d done and seen, more than he thought anything ever could be.

“Try and eat it while it’s hot,” she said, handing him a cup of tea, and that was all it took. Sitting abruptly in a chair, he had to fight not to lose whatever bare thread of control he still had of himself in front of this woman, and as it was he was nearly crying. He bit the inside of his cheek hard, and his hands holding the teacup and saucer were trembling; she reached out to steady them, her own hands warm and soft.

“What’s so bad it’s got you this way?” Her dark eyes were full of concern, and Morse tried to pull himself together enough to give her an answer. He wasn’t sure how much sense he was making—he had no idea how to adequately explain this feeling of desperate helplessness that was washing over him—but she seemed to understand, nodding gently, her face still concerned and sympathetic.

“There, now you can add cowardice to my list of offenses.” He tried for a self-deprecating smirk to take the edge off the words, but it probably looked more like a grimace. She squeezed his hand.

“When your friend brought you home the other night, I didn’t see a coward,” she told him, and he was momentarily struck speechless. He blinked. He didn't know what else she could've possibly seen in him. “Just a man beat up too often, and for too long maybe. You’re not yellow; you’re just blue.”

The crush of emotions that had been building up in his chest all week finally started to ease, and he felt a rush of surprised affection for her. Not only was she there right when he needed companionship the most, but her comment had given him just what he needed to solve the case.

He didn’t know how he could thank her properly, but taking her out to dinner seemed like a decent start…

**Author's Note:**

> I posted this earlier today but I was worried it wasn't any good asgfdshfg but I'm posting it now anyway, hopefully it's alright XD


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